GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's tennis team opens its 2024 fall schedule with competition this weekend at the Lincoln Memorial University Invitational in Harrogate, Tennessee.

The Pioneers will play in a total of five events during the fall, including a dual match at North Greenville on Sept. 18 and a trip to the ITA Southeast Regional in Sumter, South Carolina at the end of September.

Three players are back from the 2024 spring roster for the Pioneers and first-year head coach Garcian D'Cruz. Tusculum finished 14-8 last season and went 8-4 in the South Atlantic Conference.

PREVIEW
Senior Elodie Baechler (La Rippe, Switzerland) is a two-time second-team All-SAC selection in doubles. She went 15-6 in singles last season and was 14-11 in doubles for the Pioneers. In three seasons, Baechler has a career record of 42-36 in singles and 41-39 in doubles.

Junior Ylva Frafjord Landa (Sandnes, Norway) led the Pioneers in singles victories last season with a 19-8 record, and qualified for the quarterfinals at the ITA Regional. Landa was 12-13 in doubles during the 2023-24 season, giving her career marks of 35-19 in singles and 31-21 in doubles play.

Sophomore Thilda Danielsson (Ahus, Sweden) had a 7-11 singles record and a 5-12 mark in doubles in her first season at Tusculum. Junior Katie Bradley (Auchterarder, Scotland) transferred to Tusculum after two seasons at Emory & Henry, where she collected five singles and three doubles victories. Joining the program as a freshman this fall is Jimena Rivera (Manzanillo, Mexico).

SCHEDULE
Tusculum will have three events during September and two in October. After the LMU Invitational and the dual match with North Greenville, the Pioneers play at the ITA Southeast Regional from Sept. 27-30. In October, Tusculum competes at the Belmont Abbey Invitational Oct. 10-11 before closing the fall at the Milligan Invitational Oct. 19-20. Tusculum will resume its schedule at the beginning of February.